The QmPu War
by ShadowPhoenix456
Summary: A mysterious disease turns a quarter of the quirk bearing population into mindless, psychotic killers with enhanced quirk powers. Five years later, the survivors, gifted with the powers of the Plus Ultra Transformation, battle with the creatures in an endless, bloody war for the survival of humanity.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is a tribute to "The ViHe War" by Shadowpheniox123. Check it out if you haven't already!**

* * *

The QmPu War

Chapter One: The Evacuation

"Everyone, hurry!" Kirishima shouted as he waved citizens onto the plane.

The sound of echoing gun fire and explosions drowned out the people's screams and cries as they scrambled to get onboard. Smoke and dust filled the air like a living cloud of endless suffocation. A little girl walked up to Kirishima, bleeding from the forehead as she gripped her arm. She wore a wide-eyed expression of utter shock that sent chills down Kirishima's spine. He had become increasingly familiar to such a sight, but it never failed to utterly sicken him. He forced a bright smile and got down at her eyelevel.

"You need to get on the plain sweetheart," he spoke softly, resisting the urge to place a comforting hand on the girl, "There are people who will take of your injuries there."

She sobbed and grabbed his pants leg.

"I…I can't find mommy and daddy," she choked and buried her face in his leg, "Please…help me find them."

Kirishima swallowed deeply and looked away slightly. A voice shouted at him,

"Red Riot!" it was one of the american soldiers, clad head to toe in a suit of armor and carrying a large assault rifle "We need you on the frontlines. A hoard is on its way!"

"I'll be right there!" Kirishima shouted back. He turned his attention back to the little girl, "Don't worry, I'll find your parents and bring them back to you, ok?"

"Promise?" the little girl sniffled and looked up at him with watered eyes.

"Of course!" Kirishima laughed and beamed, "After all, I'm still a hero!"

Just then, a medic ran over and grabbed the girl's hand.

"Come along honey," she spoke in a comforting voice, "We're gonna make those wounds all better."

It took a few seconds before the girl let go of Kirishima and walked away. His grin vanished as soon as she looked away from him, replaced with a look of pure determination. He turned around and ran through the bombed airfield to rejoin the others.

 _"It's not just a lie,"_ he thought to himself, _"I'll bring them back, one way or another."_

Five years had passed since the war began. It started out of nowhere. A quarter of the population instantly turned into psychotic murders with heightened quirk powers and started killing without rhyme or reason. Many were killed within the first couple hours died. Friends and family disappeared with barely a trace left behind. Kirishima only survived thanks to being with his closest friend when the war broke out, the current top hero (not that the title meant much anymore).

Sometimes, he wondered if he deserved it. He wondered if he had a right to go on when almost everyone else simply vanished. Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, his parents. All gone. He never even had a chance to mourn or say goodbye. With each day that passed, they faded from his memories, like a dream he could barely recall now. He questioned if it really happened, or if it was all just a fantasy.

Kirishima shook his head and growled. Now wasn't the time for brooding thoughts. He needed to focus.

Kirishima made his way to the airport entrance. Momo and Awase busied themselves building a metal barricade while a squad of soldiers stood on the lookout. Kaibara and Ojiro stood outside in front of the barricade, waiting for the horde to arrive. Shoto and Kendo spoke with the sergeant. Kirishima ran up to them.

"What are we looking at?" Kirishima asked.

"Delta Team encountered a horde of mutants on their recovery mission," the sergeant explained, "They managed to avoid contact, but the devils are heading this way."

"Where are they now?" Kirishima asked.

"Omega Team picked them up," Shoto continued, "They took them back to the carrier, but there's too many of us for them to carry everyone. We'll have to hold off this horde until the chopper arrives."

"More specifically until the planes can take off," Kendo added, "They may still be here when our ride arrives. We've got a lot of people still trying to evacuate, and all the injured will make things slower."

Kirishima gritted his teeth and swore.

"Alpha Team was supposed to keep the main forced occupied. What the hell have they been doing?"

"They're on their way right now," the sergeant interluded, "Omega team is coming as well, but we won't be able to hold them for long."

"Then I guess we better stop talking," Kirishima nodded and looked at the others, "Same strategy as always?"

"Of course, just make sure they don't get passed you two," Shoto lit up his left (and only) arm.

"My men will give you as much suppressive fire as needed," the sergeant said, "But don't rely on us too much. You heroes are the backbone to this operation."

Kirishima and the others ran up to the barricade and climbed over. Shoto stood behind the two of them. Momo and Awase constructed mounted machine guns for themselves and stood atop the barrier with the soldiers. Everyone waited in dead silence while a low breeze passed through, pushing litter across the rubble ground.

An ungodly howl struck the air like lightning. The ground trembled like a great stampede approached. Kirishima swallowed deeply and hardened his body. Kendo enlarged both her fists. Shoto lit up his left side and held up his arm. Kaibara revved up his arms like drills, and Ojiro smashed his tail into the ground. Kirishima glanced at his wife from the corner of his eyes. Kendo looked back at him, sharing the same nervous expression. He gave her the best reassuring nod he could muster. She returned the gesture and looked forward.

The horde emerged from the airport parking garage like a pack of wild animals. Unlike the nomu, these things looked way too human after their horrible transformations. They had white, lifeless eyes with large fangs. Sores covered their skin like smallpox. Purple ooze dripped from their open wounds. Kirishima took a deep breath and crouched down.

"Here they come!" Shoto shouted as his left side lit up brighter, "Everyone stand out of the way! Don't fire until I say!"

"Right!" they shouted back.

Shoto lifted his arm and waited. The mutants continued to cry and scream. Those howls always sent a chill down his spine. They sounded like a cross between an animal in pain and an enraged, confused child, unnatural in every way imaginable. Shoto waited until the horde was only a couple hundred feet away before unleashing his attack. He doused the horde in hell fire like a mighty fire breathing dragon. The pitch of the howls got higher, as many of the creatures were instantly incinerated. Half the horde possessed fire-invulnerability quirks and survived.

"Sergeant Raiden, now!" Shoto hollered as he continued to unleash his flames.

"Light 'em up lads!"

A wave of gunfire unleashed from the barricade, mowing down dozens of mutants like fish in a barrel. Purple blood and body parts flew all over the place like confetti. Roughly thirty percent of the first wave horde still stood, the toughest and strongest of the group. Some were firing acid projectiles, thorns, and fire of their own. Kirishima ran ahead to and absorbed most of the bullets while Shoto pulled back to the barricade. The others followed suit behind Kirishima.

"Hold nothing back!" Kendo hollered.

The battle turned into a ruthless melee. Kirishima and Koda teamed up and clobbered the mutants with brute force. Kirishima drew as much attention to himself as possible, keeping the more dangerous mutants away from the others. Ojiro and Kaibara took turns offering more precise, agile strikes at each mutant. Ojiro used the strength and flexibility of his tail to decapitate the creatures like a skilled predator while Kaibara drilled through their skulls in single, fatal strikes. All the while the firing team provided suppressive fire while Shoto blasted the back of the horde with massive fireballs. Hundreds of mutants fell, but they wouldn't stop coming. Fortunately, the team had gotten them in a chokepoint with the airport entrance, but it didn't take long for them to start tiring.

Ojiro screamed in pain as one of the mutants managed to stab his shoulder. Kaibara rescued him in the nick of time and pulled back to the barricade, leaving Kendo and Kirishima alone at the frontline. Ojiro protested and asked to be taken back, but his wound was far too bloody for that, not to mention the high risk of catching the infection. Kaibara quickly administered an antidote behind the lines while Momo shouted at him,

"We're running out of ammo!" the mounted machine gun roared as she said it, "We can't hold them off much longer!"

Kirishima and Kendo worked together, but they were starting to get overwhelmed. Kirishima growled as he realized immediately what he had to do.

"Head back to the barricade!" he shouted while smashing in a mutant's skull, "I'm gonna use my Plus Ultra!"

"No, we can do this together!" Kendo barked as she smacked away a pair of mutants with her hand, "I'll use mine too!"

"Save it for later, we're just trying to buy time!" he struck a grin at her and winked, "Don't worry, I'll be alright."

She hesitated for a few seconds before turning around and running back. Kirishima knocked a pair of mutants away and clenched his fists. He smashed his legs into the ground and shouted,

"PLUS ULTRA, UNBREAKABLE!"

Kirishima's skin hardened into a rocky formation. His Plus Ultra transformation lit up his body with a crimson red. He let off a bestial roar and charged the mutants alone. When in this state, Kirishima truly was invulnerable to all attacks, and his strength rose considerably. Mutants who once gave him trouble with their own hardening quirks became like tinfoil to him. He ripped through their bodies like tissue paper. Mutant after mutant fell to his barbaric onslaught until his body was bathed with purple blood and guts. All his pent-up hate and rage unleashed in this state.

Indeed, Kirishima felt truly free with his Plus Ultra transformation.

Amid the carnage, something strong hit Kirishima dead in the chest and blew him back towards the barricade. He crashed into it, nearly busting through the steel.

"Kiri!" Kendo called out to him.

"I'm alright," Kirishima growled in fury as he pulled himself from the metal barricade, "What the hell hit me?"

Kirishima's question was answered by the appearance of a large, seven-foot stone looking golem creature with green eyes. All the other mutants backed away from his creature in acknowledgement of its presence. The soldiers shouted in fear and took a step back.

"It's a Super Mutant!" one of them cried, "We don't stand a chance against that thing. We must pull back right now!"

Without thinking, Kirishima roared and charged the creature.

"Red Riot, stop!" the sergeant hollered.

"I can beat him, but I can hold him back!" Kirishima cried back, "Get to the airport now!"

Kendo ignored the order flat out and activated her Plus Ultra. Her hands doubled in size and solidified like rocks as she followed her husband into battle. The golem roared back at them and charged. The others looked on helplessly while Shoto let out a sharp tsk.

 _"I'll save my Plus Ultra,"_ he thought to himself, _"Let's just pray they can handle it on their own!"_

The super mutant threw a punch at Kirishima. The boy blocked with his entire body, dragging his fit into the ground. Kendo attacked with both her hands, blocking the other mutant's punched. The struggle turned into a test of might as both heroes, already tired from battle, did everything to push the golem back.

"I told you…to go back!" Kirishima spoke between gritted teeth.

"Since when did I start…taking orders from you!?" Kendo gritted back.

Kirishima let out a sharp growl and grinned at her. It would've been endearing is he didn't look like a hotblooded demon with shark teeth.

"That's what I…always liked about you…" he growled, feeling his power fading.

She growled and grinned back at him. They were almost overwhelmed until Kaibara jumped in, Plus Ultra quirk activated, and shouted,

"TWIN POWER DRILL!"

He struck both his arms into the super mutant's eyes. With his plus ultra-transformation, his drills could penetrate almost everything. The creature howled in pain and stumbled backwards, covering its now blinded eyes. The other mutants rallied around it in an organized fashion, preparing for another assault. Kirishima's Plus Ultra form faded, and he collapsed to his knees, completely out of breath.

"That's…all I can do…" he panted, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it!" Kaibara said as his drills glowed orange, "We'll handle the rest!"

As he said it, the super mutant let out a deafening war cry, and the rest of the mutants charged. Kendo and Kaibara stood their ground. Before the Super Mutant could strike, its head exploded in an earsplitting eruption. It' body tumbled backwards and crushed some of the other mutants. A hero landed in front of them while all the mutants froze in place. He stood to his feet and popped his neck. Kirishima looked up with a weak smile.

"Bought time you got here," he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Number One Hero."

The soldiers cheered, and Momo and Awase let out sighs of relief.

"It's Nitro!" one of the soldiers hollered, "Team Alpha is here!"

Bakugou let out a small huff as he eyed the mutants violently. His hands let off small explosions as he popped his neck.

"Alright," he growled as he crouched down, "Who's next?"

The mutants recovered from shock and charged. Bakugou didn't even move, as a blur cut by, knocking several mutants on their backs. Iida had already activated his Plus Ultra quirk and was tearing through the horde like a high-speed vehicle. Tetsutesu rode on Shishida's, and the pair began ripping the mutants apart from the back. Bakugou powered up his own Plus Ultra and started blowing the mutants away. Kendo and Kaibara joined him, and slowly but surely, the whittled the horde's numbers down.

Omega Team showed up soon after, attacking from the skies. Hawks, Tokoyami, and Snipe (who had installed rocket boots for flight) reinforced their allies. Together all three teams massacred the horde. The battle was over in less than ten minutes.

Shortly after, an American helicopter arrived. The teams quickly boarded, and the aircraft lifted out of the zone. Smoke billowed across the landscape, and they could still see mutants wandering the landscape. Nobody said a word on the way back. No friendly dialogue. No congratulations or pats on the backs. Everyone was dead silent, including Kirishima himself. Ojiro's whimpering was the only thing that broke the silence as he clutched at his bandages. Kendo leaned her head against her husband's shoulder. Kirishima wrapped an arm around her and she fell asleep. Tokoyami sat across from him with crossed arms, sitting next to Bakugou and Iida. He caught eyes with the redhead and nodded. Kirishima smiled and nodded back. Bakugou didn't pay any attention to either of them while Iida spoke in a suppressed tone with the sergeant.

Kirishima felt his eyelids grow heavy. The exhaustion caused by his Plus Ultra Transformation was starting to catch up with him. He closed his eyes and finally dozed off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I threw a LOT into this chapter. I added lines to seperate "scenes" because it jumps around quite a bit here. Hopefully, people won't get lost or too overwhelmed. Anyway, please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Two: Debriefing

"Paris was overrun?" Aizawa spoke with Admiral Perry in her office. Shinso and Tsuyu, the first and second officers of Delta Team, stood with their captain.

"Yes, after a long and seemingly endless siege, the city finally fell," the wrinkly, pail skinned woman sat down in her chair with a heavy sigh, "The French held out much longer than we expected. Fortunately, most of the government and military staff had already been evacuated, so it wasn't a crushing blow. Still, it's one more military base gone for us. Soon we'll have nowhere to run but the ocean."

"What about the people?" Shinso asked.

"We managed to evacuate most of them," Perry spoke in a disinterested manner as she lit a cigarette, "At least, those who were still alive. We'll start running out of room for them all. I don't look forward to the day when we're ordered to leave refugees behind because we've got too many mouths to feed."

"That day will never come," Tsuyu frowned, "We will reclaim the world before that happens."

"Your optimism is admirable," Perry huffed and blew a large puff of smoke, "But so far, we haven't managed to retake an inch of mutant territory. We should prepare for the worst."

"I see," Aizawa grumbled, "You Americans aren't as starry eyed as we were led to believe. Although I guess…that makes…"

Aizawa grabbed his chest and coughed violently. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief and bent over. Shinso and Tsuyu both gave him a concerned look. The admiral raised an eyebrow at him.

"You alright their droopy eyes?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Aizawa cleared his throat and sniffed, "Just a terrible cold I've developed."

"Sensei, you've been coughing like that for months now," Tsuyu deadpanned.

"She's right," Shinso added, "You should see a-

"I said I'm fine," Aizawa interrupted with a harsh tone. He then straightened up and asked, "Now then, any new on the other teams?"

"They haven't reported in. We sent an escort chopper to pick them-

The admiral was cut off by her phone intercom.

"Ah, speak of the devil," she pressed the answer button, "What is it?"

"Alpha, Omega, and Beta Teams have returned," a voice responded.

"Is Tokoyami alright?" Tsuyu felt her heart leap with joyous anxiety.

"Send the officers to the command center for debriefing," she stood from her chair, "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Admiral please," Tsuyu continued, "Is Fumikage-

"Tsuyu," Shinso placed a calming hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into his eyes, "He's fine."

Her heartbeat died down and she swallowed deeply, nodding as she turned her eyes away.

"You three are dismissed," the admiral stretched her back and yawned, "You may head to your quarters, or grab a meal from the mess hall. I don't care. Be ready tomorrow. We might be heading out."

Tsuyu and Shinso glared at her back when she walked past them. The three of them walked out of the office together.

"I know we should be grateful to them, but personally, I can't stand these Americans," Shinso spoke in a low tone, "Their head officers have no passion for their duties. Can't they see we're fighting for the survival of humanity?"

"They're just tired of fighting," Aizawa added, "They've been battling these creatures longer and harder than the rest of us. Let them be."

"Sensei, even you have to feel a little frustrated," Tsuyu looked at him.

"Frankly, I stopped caring about other people's attitude a long time ago," Aizawa struck a small smile, "Besides, when have I ever looked passionate towards any of you?"

"Fair point, but your actions showed otherwise." Shinso noted.

"Indeed, and these Americans haven't let us down yet, have they?"

Shinso said nothing to that. He simply grumbled and looked away, acknowledging his master's logic.

"At any rate, she made a good point back there," Aizawa continued, "We can't just keep evacuating survivors. We have to go on the offensive."

Tsuyu nodded and paused when they came to a hall intersection. Shinso paused as well and looked at her while Aizawa made his way to the infirmary.

"Are you gonna go see your daughter?" he asked.

"Yes. Can you do me a favor?"

"You want me to go check on your husband," Shinso gave her a low eyed smile.

"Sorry," she blushed and grabbed her forearm, "I just…wanna make sure."

"Don't worry about it," he waved his hand and walked away, "Say hi to your little tadpole for me."

"Thank you Shinso," Tsuyu walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Kirishima felt something pushing his shoulder.

"Kiri," a voice spoke, "C'mon sleepyhead, wake up."

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. The chopper was empty, aside from himself and Kendo. She stood and offered a hand. He grabbed it, and she pulled him to his feet. They walked off the aircraft together.

They had landed on the airstrip of the U.S.S Jamestown, an aircraft carrier in the United States Navy (or more appropriately, the UN Navy, but nobody seriously called it that). The rest of the teams were either still out on the strip talking with the crewmen or were making their way to the interior. Tokoyami was the only hero waiting outside for them. Kirishima saw Iida still speaking with the sergeant in the distance. For some reason, he was the only Japanese hero who had gotten close with the American soldiers. Fumikage approached the two of them. He offered a hand to his old friend, but Kirishima bypassed it and hugged him.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he said.

Tokoyami huffed and smiled as he hugged the redhead back.

"Look who's talking," he replied, "You were the ones who were almost overran."

Kirishima let out a small laugh and let him go.

"It's good to see you again Fumikage," Kirishima said, "I know it's only been a month, but it feels like it's been forever."

"This last assignment took a lot longer than usual," he looked at Kendo and offered his hand. She shook it promptly, "Thank you for looking after him. He can be a bit reckless."

"Trust me, I know better than anyone else," she laughed.

Before they could continue, Shinso showed up and approached the others.

"Well, look who it is!" Kirishima beamed at him.

"Red Riot," Shinso nodded at him without smiling back. He looked at Tokoyami, "Tsuyu sent me. She wanted to make sure you were ok."

Tokoyami tightened his fists as he felt a swarm of butterflies swarm his stomach. He desperately wanted to go see his wife, but he needed to be debriefed first.

"I will see her after we've wrapped everything up," he looked back at the others, "C'mon, we should head to the command center. Don't wanna keep them waiting."

The others nodded and followed behind him. Kirishima unabashedly snuck a hand on his wife's behind. A small smile to spread on her face. He leaned over and whispered into her ear,

"We'll finally get a night all to ourselves," he whispered with a devilish smile as he applied pressure to her right cheek.

"Not now," she giggled and pushed his hand away, "There are crewmen all around."

She gasped as he suddenly swooped her off her feet.

"Kiri!" she hollered.

"Aw c'mon!" he grinned up at her, "Everyone knows what we're all about!"

She laughed as he spun her around. Tokoyami smiled back at them and shook his head. In his heart, a felt a pinch of envy.

" _You're jealous of them,"_ Dark Shadow teased from the inside.

" _Maybe a little,"_ he spoke back, _"They're lucky to be on the same team together."_

Dark Shadow cackled.

" _Let's be honest. If you guys were together, you'd never get anything done."_

Tokoyami chuckled and closed his eyes.

 _"No, probably not."_

* * *

Back in the infirmary, Aizawa was getting an x-ray with Recovery girl. She was in a wheelchair now, well passed her prime, but still kicking, nonetheless. All Might was there as well. He and Recovery Girl were the only ones who knew about his condition.

"It's gotten worse, hasn't it?" Aizawa asked as Recovery Girl looked at the reports.

She put the papers down and looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry dear," she said, "It looks like my treatments only delayed the inevitable. Even if we had a hospital, I doubt it'd make a difference."

All Might closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. He'd already lost so many other friends. He didn't want to lose another.

"Maybe you should just tell the admiral already," All Might suggested, "You could spend your sunset days in-

"I would rather die a horrible, painful death to mutants than pass away on a hospital bed," Aizawa spat and glared at him, "Forget it. We're not having that discussion."

"Maybe we should!" All Might pleaded, "I hate seeing you in pain like this. You've been fighting your entire life now. Don't you deserve a break before the end?"

Aizawa grimaced in disgust, and All Might backed down.

"If our positions were switched, you would ask to die in battle," Aizawa pointed out, "You almost did against All for One. Don't deny it. You were ready to throw it all away."

"We just want what's best for you dear," Recovery Girl rolled up to him, "But if this is the choice you want to make, we won't stop you. Although, I feel I would be doing a disservice to your disciples if I didn't suggest you tell them the truth about your health."

"They don't need to know." Aizawa didn't look at her.

"But they should," she frowned at him, "Not just for your sake, but for theirs. What if you pass out in battle, and they're left without a leader?"

Aizawa flinched at that and clenched his fists.

"She's right," All Might hummed, "We have to put their safety first. You're fighting half-dead out there. They need to be prepared for an emergency."

Aizawa bowed his head and closed his eyes. He already knew that, of course. On the battlefield, he was a liability to his teammates. He knew Tsuyu would be able to handle the news well enough. She'd lost people before.

But Shinso…

Aizawa felt his eyes water up as he thought about his student. They had known each other for so long now. After he lost his parents to the disease, Aizawa became something of a second father to Shinso, bringing them closer than ever before. He loved the boy more than anything in the whole wide world, and he'd hate to see his heart broken a second time. Aizawa knew that when he was gone, Shinso would have nobody else. He was a young man now of course. Aizawa knew he could handle it. But still, the image of that boy he'd unofficially adopted so many years ago the night he lost his parents and cried into Aizawa's arms was frozen in his mind. All Might walked over and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard this decision must be for you," he spoke softly, "But I know you'll make the right one, no matter what. I have faith in your judgement. Always have."

Recovery Girl nodded in silent agreement. Aizawa sniffed and stood up, wiping his eyes.

"Damn it all, I'm not supposed to be the emotional one," he huffed as he grabbed his shirt, "Thank you two for your advice. I think I know what to do now."

"Of course," All Might smiled at him, "If you need anything else, I'm a phone call away."

Aizawa said nothing as he put on his shirt and walked out of the room. All Might's smile vanished as he exited, and Recovery Girl rolled up to him.

"It looks like we're gonna outlive him too," he sighed as he placed a hand on the older woman's shoulder.

"Oh, don't say that," she placed a hand on his as she wiped a tear from her eye, "This old lady's heart can only take so much."

* * *

Tokoyami and the others made their way up to the command center. Crewmen glanced at them awkwardly as Kendo carried her husband in one of her enlarged hands. He smiled dumbly at them all as they passed by.

"Don't worry about us folks," Kendo said with a lowbrow smile as she placed a hand on her hip, "Just go about your everyday business."

Dark Shadow laughed as he emerged from Tokoyami's back.

"Looks like she got you pretty good!"

"Yeah man, looks like she's got me whipped!" he closed his eyes and grinned.

"Oh please," she pulled him over and starred right into his eyes, "You could've broken free all this time."

"Maybe I just like being squeezed by you," he cooed and winked, "I love feeling your large fist around my hard body."

There was an awkward pause before they both burst out laughing.

"That doesn't even sound remotely sexy!" she bellowed.

Dark Shadow joined in on their laughter. Tokoyami simply chuckled and continued walking.

In the command center, the rest of the officers waited at attention. Tetsutetsu checked his watch and growled.

"What on earth are they doing? I wanna get this over with and hit the mess hall."

"Kirishima and Kendo are probably making out in the chopper or something," Ojiro sighed, "Those two cannot keep their hands off each other."

"They've done a pretty good job acting professional on our assignments," Shoto mentioned.

"You're only saying that because you and Momo are dating," Ojiro looked at him with low eyes.

"I'm still surprised the military lets couples stay together in the same team," Shishida hummed as he picked something out of his large fang.

"Actually, it's not as surprising as you may think," Iida pushed his glasses up, "Soldiers grow very close to each other on the battlefields, so relationship formations are practically inevitable. If they don't let it effect their duties, the navy doesn't mind."

A minute later, the remaining three officers entered the command center, and the debriefing process began. It didn't take long, and soon the officers were released from duty. As they were the last to enter, Kirishima and Kendo were the last to exit. When they did, an arm wrapped around Kirishima's neck, and steel knuckles viciously noggied his head.

"How's my favorite rival doing!?" Tetsutetsu yelled with glee.

Kirishima laughed as he broke out of the hold. He hardened his fist and slammed it against Tetsutetsu's. Kendo ran over and hugged the boy without hesitation.

"Thanks for saving our necks back there," Kirishima held up a fist with a large grin, "We owe Alpha Team one."

"Don't thank me," he laughed, "Bakugou's the one who smashed his way through the mutants. We would've never made it in time without him."

Kirishima's smile disappeared at the mention of his best friend. He looked back to see the blonde walking down the hall, alone. He hadn't spoke a word to anyone outside of the briefing this whole time.

"He's being real quite again…" Kendo noted as they both watched him walk away.

"Yeah, he didn't say much on the mission either," Tetsutetsu grumbled and rubbed his chin, "He's had a lot of rough nights. Having a hard time sleep since…well, you know…"

"That was over a year ago though," Kirishima let out a frustrated grunt, "He's only gotten worse since then."

"Maybe we just need to give him more time," Kendo suggested.

"I don't know, I'm kind of with Kirishima on this one," Tetsutetsu grumbled, "He's been really cold with all of us. I tried asking him a question a few days ago, and he barely even responded. It's not good for him," He growled and beat his chest," He needs to speak up more! True men are willing to shed their tears!"

Kirishima let out a low sigh as Bakugou disappeared around the corner.

"But Bakugou's not like most men…" he mumbled.

* * *

Iida walked with Sergeant Melisa Arc down to the mess hall. Arc was one of the few American soldiers who were a part of Alpha Team. She possessed a Fox mutation Quirk that gave her a fox head, claws, and a coat of orange fur. She also possessed a short, red mohawk that was groomed backwards. Iida had taken a liking to the soldier, and the two knew each other quite well. She was one of the very few people who could match his speed on the battlefield (at his regular pace, of course). She carried a set of dual pistols on her belt, and dual swords on her back.

"Your top hero certainly is truly a marvel to behold," she said in a respectful manner, "Even the pros from our country don't match his level of battle power."

"He's given us more victories than we can count," Iida nodded, "I doubt any of us would still be alive without him. Japan would be nothing more than a Mutant State."

"Nitro has played a big role in it's survival, no doubt," she looked at Iida, "Although I'm curious about his power."

"What do you mean?" Iida looked at her curiously.

"Well, it's just that his Plus Ultra powerup is indefinite," she pointed out, "And unlike the rest of us, it seems to grant him more than just enhanced explosive capabilities. It also grants him super strength and durability. Don't you find that a bit…odd?"

"Maybe if it was someone else, but not for him," Iida smiled here, "Trust me, he's always been unusual. His audacity and willpower as pushed him farther than any of us could ever dream."

"And yet he's colder than the North Pole," Arc mentioned with a low sigh, "I've been meaning to ask, is there a reason for that? For someone with such an explosive power, he sure has a rather detached attitude."

Iida's smile slowly faded as he looked down at the ground. His walking slowed as well.

"During the war in Japan, he lost someone very close to him," Iida mentioned, "The previous top hero, and the original savior of our country. He was a friend of mine as well."

"My apologies, but I have not heard of this hero," she said, "I was under the impression Nitro was always the top hero. What was their name?

Iida pushed up his glasses and stared at the ceiling.

"Izuku Midoriya."

* * *

Tokoyami let out a low grunt as he made his way down the Living Quarters. When he reached his room, he knocked on the door. A small girl with large frog eyes and long black hair answered. She wore a long white shirt with green striped. She gasped and smiled.

"Daddy!" she jumped up into his arms. Fumikage laughed and closed his eyes as he grabbed hold of her.

"How's my little girl doing?" he asked as he pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"I'm doing great, ribbit!" her smile turned into a curious look, "Where's Shadow?"

Dark Shadow popped out of Tokoyami's back and nuzzled the girl. She laughed and grabbed his head.

"Shadow!" she cheered as the spirit cooed, "I'm so glad you're back, ribbit!"

"I missed you so much Lily!" the entity hugged her, and Tokoyami could swear he was crying. His quirk had bonded with the girl and looked after her since she was an infant. His childish, playful side allowed him to get along with her well, and he made for a great playmate. It warmed Fumikage's heart to know his quirk and his daughter were best friends.

Tokoyami felt his heart do a backflip when he saw his wife enter the room. She wore a a pair of short black shorts with a white, skintight T-shirt. Fumikage set Lily down and let Dark Shadow continue to hug her. He and his wife gently kissed each other and embraced. She whispered into his ear.

"Welcome back,"

Fumikage had to summon up all his willpower to prevent himself from lifting her up and carrying her into their bedroom right then and there. Deprived from each other for almost a month, feeling her warm body against his own rekindled that flame in his insides that lit up his entire body. Dark Shadow could feel the fire between them and smiled back at his master. They finally let go, and Lily ran back over to them.

"Oh, Daddy!" she hollered, pulling at his leg, "Can I show you the pictures I drew while you were gone? I drew so many, ribbit!"

"Yes, and they all look beautiful, ribbit." Tsuyu closed her and smiled at him.

Tokoyami grinned and tussled his child's hair, evoking a giggle from her.

"Well, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time for you to tell me about all of them," he grabbed her hand, and they walked over to the tiny kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's a day early but Merry Christmas everyone!**

Chapter 3: Recuperations

Melisa and Iida ate together in the mess hall. Iida stared at the food on his fork as he reminisced about the past.

"Deku was one of greatest heroes Japan had ever seen. He was the kindest, selfless, and most honorable man I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. And he was unbelievably strong, matched with Nitro's strength, if not stronger. He took on the role of the "Symbol of Peace" not long after All Might left it behind. He and Nitro made an unstoppable team. You could almost see the spirit of hope emitting wherever they fought. At that time, people had doubtless faith that we would reclaim our country. When those two were around, anything seemed possible."

Iida scrapped the food off his fork. Sergeant Arc listened intently. The sadness in Iida's voice as could not have been more obvious. At first, she was surprised that she didn't know about Japan's previous top hero, but now it made perfect sense. No wonder nobody spoke of it. It only seemed to bring pain to their hearts.

"After Deku fell in battle, that hope vanished. Sure, we still had Nitro, and he had awoken a power in himself stronger than anything we had ever seen before. It was as if Deku's spirit was with him, giving him power even in death. But he became cold and embittered. None of that fiery attitude or energy remained in him that pushed us forward in the past. It was like he had become a soulless savior, stronger than ever in body, but utterly broken at heart."

"That is…very tragic," Melisa hummed, "Your people have been through much heartache. You have my condolences."

"We haven't given up yet," Iida forced a bright, determined grin, "As long as we work together and stay strong, we can overcome any adversity. Bakugou will come back to us. I know it. I have faith in him."

Sergeant Arc smiled and nodded at that. She picked up her fork and began eating.

"You said Nitro awoke a power within himself after Deku died," Melisa noted, "What did you mean by that?"

"I don't know if the trauma has something to do with it," Iida explained, "The Plus Ultra Transformation has always been something of a mystery for us. After the event, Bakugou's Plus Ultra started granting him super strength and enhanced durability. On top of that, it's always activated, and doesn't drain any of his stamina. It's a marvelous evolution."

"And you're certain it's his Plus Ultra Transformation?" she asked.

"What else could it be?" Iida shrugged, "If we had the time and resources, maybe we could do more research. I think we should just be grateful to have it. As sad as it is to say, it's made Deku's loss less costly."

Sergeant Arc let out a skeptical hum as she glanced away. Originally trained as an assassin before joining the military, she had been thoroughly indoctrinated never to take anything for granted, whether it was a curse or a blessing. She thought about prying Iida for more information but decided to drop the topic out of respect. She made a mental note to investigate it more later. It wasn't that she didn't trust the Japanese, but if they were hiding secret quirk enhancing technology to themselves, her superiors needed to know.

" _Although there would be no reason to hide it if that were true,"_ she closed her eyes in deep thought, _"Maybe the Plus Ultra transformation is more effected by psychological phenomena than we thought. I'll keep this to myself for now. No sense telling the admiral until I have some evidence. I should ask around some of the other heroes."_

"Sergeant Arc?"

She flinched as Iida's voice cut off her thought process.

"Sorry, I was thinking to myself," she cleared her throat.

Iida struck a smug, uptight grin.

"For an ex assassin, you sure have a tendency to doze off," he teased.

As he said it, one of the soldiers walking by their table tripped and dropped their tray. The sergeant immediately flipped out of her chair and caught the tray, perfectly balancing all the scattering items onto it right before they hit the ground. Both Iida and the soldier looked at her in disbelief as she stood up.

"T-thank you, sir," the private stuttered as she handed the tray back to him.

"Don't be so clumsy next time,"

Sergeant Arc sighed heavily as she sat back down.

"To wet your curiosity, I don't need to be as consciously aware thanks to my quirk," she explained as she flattened her red hair back, "My fox mutation gives me heightened senses and reflexes. My mind is always intensely alert, whether I want it to be or not."

Iida stared dumbly for a moment before he regained his posture and smiled.

"In that case, I humbly take back what I said," he gave a small, polite bow, "That quirk is more marvelous than I initially thought. From our battles, I assumed you merely possessed better speed and agility."

"That's because you've only seen me as a soldier, not an assassin or spy," she seemed mildly aggravated as she said it, "And a quirk is only as effective as its user. Without training and discipline, it means nothing."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Iida nodded, "Can you tell me more about your assassin days? I'm quite intrigued."

Sergeant Arc froze up and grimaced.

"I'd rather not speak of it," her fox ears dropped, "Those were dark times where concepts like honor and mercy meant very little to me. That is all you need to know."

"I see," Iida hummed.

They ate in awkward silence for a few moments before Sergeant Arc cheered up.

"Well, we can always speak about your past," she smiled at him from the corner of her eyes, "How did you first become a hero?"

"Oh, now _that's_ a long story," Iida laughed and pushed his glasses up, "The Iida's have always been proud heroes, even after the Mutant War…"

* * *

Kendo could hear running water mixed with her husband brushing his teeth from their bathroom while she sat down reading mission documents on the bed. She wore an orange short with short blue shorts.

"You know, you don't have to go over those right now," Kirishima spoke with a mouth full of toothpaste, "We're not on duty."

"I know, but I like staying on track," she flipped one of the pages and continued reading, "And I feel like we didn't get to know the Americans during our mission."

"Well, I know I like em all," Kirishima spat out the toothpaste and wiped his mouth down with a towel, "Maybe if we make it back to the base someday, we can all head to the bar. Grab a few drinks."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Kendo put a hand underneath her chin, "I'd love to learn more about Sergeant Raiden. Did you know he's quirkless?"

"Yeah, one of the other guys told me," Kirishima walked into the room wearing a pair of boxers and a red t-shirt and laid down near her legs. He pulled her socks and shoes off and began rubbing her feet, "Although I would assume, he had some sort of endurance enhancing quirk. That guy is one tough bastard."

"I'm glad we have him in our squad instead of that Arc woman," Kendo eyes grew wary, "I don't see why Tenya hangs out with her so much. Something about her just rubs me the wrong way."

Kirishima didn't respond to that. After a minute of silence, he went from gentle rubs to precise messages on her feet. She closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and let out a satisfied hum.

"That feels really nice…" she cooed.

"It would be a lot nicer if your feet didn't smell so bad." Kirishima struck a large, pointy-toothed grin with his eyes closed.

Kendo let out a large huff and instantly stuck her foot in his face.

"Bleck!" Kirishima choked in an exaggerated manner as he turned away, "It burns!"

Kendo giggled as she tried sticking both feet in his face. The tides turned when Kirishima started tickling them. Kendo's giggles instantly turned into howling laughs as she threw the documents aside and squirmed around, trying to break from his grasp. She enlarged one of her fists and tried pushing him off, begging him to stop. He finally did and dove on top of her, wrapping his arms around her back. They rolled around and wrestled each other, laughing with playful joy the entire time.

Their playing came to a sudden halt. Kirishima found himself laying on top of her. He stared into her gorgeous, bright teal eyes with awestruck wonder. She smiled lovingly into his and placed a hand on his cheek. They both closed their eyes as Kirishima leaned down and kissed her. They held onto it for what seemed an eternity, breathing into each other as their passion slowly inflated like a balloon, ready to burst without warning. In one quick movement, Kendo rolled over onto her husband and straddled him with a devilish smile.

"Aw man," Kirishima grinned up at her as he placed a hand behind his head, "and here I was hoping I'd take the lead for once."

"Oh sure," Kendo pulled the band out of her ponytail and let her hair fall backwards, "Because you _never_ take the lead, right?"

Eijirou took a deep breath as he felt his manhood harden (and it wasn't because of his quirk). He thought her ponytail was adorable, but there was something so unbelievably attractive about the way she let her hair flow freely like that. He loved it, and she knew it. She knew him too well. He struck a sly smile and placed a hand on her hip.

"I love it when you get all assertive," he said seductively.

A naughty smile formed on her face as she lifted off her shirt. Kirishima caressed her hips as he leaned up to her. Their lips met, signaling the beginning to a well-earned night of love making.

When they finished, they were coated in a fresh layer of cold sweat. Their chests heaved as they gasped for air, bodies spent, and stamina drained. Kendo unsaddled her husband and collapsed next to him. They shared another kiss before nestling into each other's arms. The heat created from their intense love making had begun to fade, and the room started getting cold. Kirishima pulled the covers over them to block out the chill.

"You've gotten really good at ," she panted.

"Thanks," he chuckled hoarsely, "Better than our first time together. I didn't even last a minute that time."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," she smiled weakly at him, "I was just as clueless as you. Besides…if I recall, you still managed to repay in full."

Kirishima let out a small laugh.

"Yeah…that was a good night."

They laid in each other's arms for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes. Kendo spoke up first.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Kirishima didn't even need to ask who she was referring to, "He's my best friend. I'll always be worried."

"It's just that you seemed more concerned than usual about it today," she readjusted herself to get a better look at him.

"It's because I haven't seen him in a month," Kirishima sighed heavily, "He didn't say a word to me this time. In the past, he at least gave me insults after reuniting. It's gotten worse."

"You should try talking to him," she said, "Take Momo, Tenya, and Shoto with you. You four know each other well enough, right? I'm sure together you can-

"They were never close to him," Kirishima shook his head, "At best, they were respected rivals. Midoriya and I were the only ones who could be considered close friends."

Kendo thought about it hard and came up with a solution.

"Well…what about Tetsu and I?" she said, "He's one of your best friends, and I'm your wife. Maybe Bakugou will react differently if we're there with you. Maybe he'll be more considerate."

"I really doubt it," Kirishima hummed, "Although, it might be worth a shot. We'd have to make it look natural. At this point, having him just get mad at me again could be considered process. I miss his constant yells and insults. I mean, he's still angry Bakugou, obviously. But in the past, anger was his primary form of communication. Now it's just…pure anger."

"Then it's clear what we have to do," Kendo spoke in a determined tone, "We should talk to Tetsu about it tomorrow. I'll see if I can come up with a plan to confront him without making it look planned out."

"Good idea," Kirishima smiled at her. He kissed her hair, "Now, it's getting late, and I'm feeling tired. What's say we call it a night?"

"Sounds like a plan," she kissed him gently and whispered, "Goodnight Kiri."

"Goodnight my love." He grinned and closed his eyes as he nuzzled her.

With that, Kirishima turned out his lamp, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Tokoyami held his daughters' hand as he knelt next to her bed. She lied down tucked underneath the covers. The room was dark aside from a small, frog themed nightlight on the wall.

"Daddy?" Lilly whispered.

"Yes sweetheart?"

The frog girl turned over to face him with her large frog eyes. They were shaped just like her mother but had the red pupils of her father.

"Will you and Mommy still be home tomorrow?"

Tokoyami felt his heart sink like a rock. Even at five, Lilly was undeniably smart. She had a vague understanding of why her parents had to be gone for so long, more so than most kids her age. But that didn't make the long stretches of separation any less difficult for her. Tokoyami let out a soft sigh as he pushed her back behind her ear.

"I don't know honey. We'll just have to wait and see."

She grabbed his hand.

"Am I bad for wanting you guys to stay?"

Tokoyami flinched back and let out a small gasp.

"Oh no," Tokoyami readjusted himself and got at her eyelevel, "No, no sweetie, it's not wrong at all to miss your parents. We don't want to be gone either. It's just…for now, this is how it must be. But it won't always be like this. I promise."

Lilly's eyes started to water up. She sniffled and nodded as she wiped them. Her father leaned over and hugged her. Dark Shadow emerged from his back and cooed as he bumped his forehead against Lilly's.

"I love you baby girl," Fumikage whispered.

"I love you too Daddy." She choked back.

Lilly whimpered in her father's arms for a few more minutes before falling asleep. Tokoyami gave her a small peck on the cheek before getting up. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

He made his way to the master bedroom and heard the shower running. He opened the bathroom door and walked in. Tsuyu's clothes were scattered on the floor. Fumikage removed his shirt, pants, and boxers before opening the shower curtain. Tsuyu was sitting directly underneath the shower head, letting a soft warm stream wash over her shining, dark green hair. Neither he nor his wife said a word as he stepped in. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. She tightened his arms around her like a restraining belt and rested her head back on his shoulder. Tokoyami closed his eyes as he nestled his beak into her hair. The showerhead now aimed on her torso. The water gracefully flowed down her bosom like a waterfall. Fumikage took a deep breath and smiled. He let out a small chuckle.

"We need to be careful what we say around Lilly," he began in a low voice, "That girl is too smart for her own good."

"What did she say, ribbit?"

"She's worried we won't be here tomorrow."

Tsuyu clutched her husband's arms tighter. She then grinned and giggled.

"She's already made so many friends at Kindergarten. The teacher told me the other kids look up to her a lot. She's like their big sister in a lot of ways."

"Of course she is," Tokoyami smiled into her hair, "After all, her mother is a caring and compassionate person by nature."

"And her father is a big softy, ribbit." Tsuyu closed her eyes and grinned back at her husband, "I think she shares more of your personality than mine, to be honest."

Fumikage brushed her hair back behind her ears. He leaned down and began kissing her neck. Despite the appearance, his yellow beak was much softer than the average bird. Tsuyu let out a soft hum and leaned her head back against his shoulder. Slowly, Tokoyami lifted his hands and began massaging her breasts. Tsuyu's breathing picked up speed as she put her hands atop her husband's and helped with his movements. Eventually, Fumikage brought a hand down and gently caressed the area between her legs. Tsuyu gasped and moaned as she closed her eyes. After a few minutes of this glorious foreplay, Tsuyu suddenly turned around and kissed her husband aggressively. She leaped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Tokoyami gently pinned her against the shower wall. Tsuyu broke their kiss of and stared into her husband's eyes.

"I missed this so much," she panted as she pressed her forehead against his.

Fumikage responded with a sly but enchanting smile as he grabbed her legs and positioned himself. He gave her one last kiss before beginning.

* * *

Ojiro pounded away at the punching bags with ferocious tenacity. His wound burned underneath that bandage, but that didn't stop his training. He gritted his teeth and pressed onwards, holding nothing back.

 _"I can't stop now,"_ he thought to himself, _"These injuries are nothing."_

Ever since the death of Hagakure and his family, Ojiro made it his goal to master every one of his weaknesses and reach his maximum potential. The war had strengthened his resolve and changed his mindset. He treated every day like it was his last, for he knew it very well could be, especially in these dark times. He trained harder than anyone else and was one of the first heroes to achieve the Plus Ultra Transformation. Since then, he had become a deadly fighter.

It was already passing midnight. He had been in the gym ever since he checked out of the infirmary many hours ago. The doctors instructed him to rest for the rest of the day, but Ojiro ignored their words. He had removed his gi after accumulating enough sweat from his workout. Even with his iron will, the injury had begun to take its toll. Ojiro's movements started slowing more and more, and he began resorting only to his tail and legs for strikes.

"Mashirao?"

Ojiro paused his training and looked over at the door. Kaibara stood with a look of deep concern. Friends before the war, the previous 1A and 1B students from UA had very little left in the world but each other. The catastrophe of the war stripped almost everything away from each of them, and amid the wasteland of horror, they found each other again. Ojiro felt guilt course through his veins as he turned away. Kaibara frowned and stomped over to him.

"I've been looking for you all night. How long have you been down here?"

"Roughly thirty minutes," Ojiro mumbled.

"Liar," Kaibara raised his voice and crossed his arms, "You look like you've been at it all evening. You came here as soon as you checked out, didn't you?"

"So what if I have?" Ojiro growled at him, "It's none of your business."

"I'm your damn teammate!" Kaibara shouted, "Of course it's my business! You shouldn't be moving around so much with an injury like that. You're gonna make it worse!"

"I can let a little stab put a halt to my training," Ojiro grabbed his bandage, "I don't care what the medics said. I'll be fine."

"And what if your wound reopens? What if you don't let it heal, and then it tears on the battlefield while we're in the middle of a fight?" here Kaibara glared at him, "You want to force me to save your ass again and leave the rest of us more vulnerable and outnumbered?"

Ojiro gasped and flinched at that. His head dropped in shame, and he closed his eyes as he let out an exasperation of defeat. Kaibara stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," he now spoke with a softer, more sympathetic tone, "Let's head on up to the deck. We can talk there."

Ojiro was silent for several seconds before he looked back up and nodded. They made their way to the carrier's airstrip. Protocol dictated that all soldiers needed to be indoors after midnight aside from patrols, but Kaibara was good friends with the head of security, and he gave him and his friend special access. They sat on the edge of the ship with their legs dangling over the side. Kaibara handed him a water bottle.

"Thanks," Ojiro grabbed and unscrewed the cap after he wiped down his face with a towel. The cool chill of the night blew up against his body, summoning goosebumps across his bare exposed skin.

"You always forget to hydrate," Kaibara struck a small, sad grin, "You train like a mad man Ojiro, but you struggle to manage your health sometimes."

Ojiro didn't respond to that. He downed his bottle in a single gulp, crumpled it up, and threw it into the ocean.

"You shouldn't pollute," Kaibara mentioned.

"And you shouldn't judge and critique my every action," Ojiro huffed, "It gets annoying."

"I'm allowed to be worried about you, especially when you act reckless."

There was an awkward silence that persisted for several minutes. Ojiro's guilt built up enough, and his will finally cracked. He rested his tail in his lap and leaned his head down.

"I'm sorry Sen," Ojiro began as he stroked his own tail, "I know I'm being an asshole right now. I just…I'm so sick of feeling weak all the time."

"I don't understand why you think you're weak," Kaibara glared at him, "How many times have you pulled one of us from the fire? How many people have you saved? You have better control over your Plus Ultra Transformation than any of us…well, aside from Bakugou of course. Don't let these kinds of things get you down all the time."

"I know that, but…still," Ojiro looked up at the night sky.

Kaibara glared at him for a few more seconds before smiling and looking away.

"You know, after I learned you were still alive, I felt incredibly relieved," Sen began, "I'm glad there was somebody from Class-1A who I knew fairly well. Before our first fight, I had total faith in you. I never doubted your skills for a second."

Ojiro continued to stroke his own tail without saying a word. Sen reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder as they both looked up at the night sky.

"Full moon tonight," Kaibara said.

"Yeah," Ojiro managed to pull of a small smile, "And lots of stars. It very pretty."

"I'm glad there's still beauty in the world, even with everything that's happened. Look, even the night can't make the beauty of the universe disappear It stretches on and on in the endless void before our eyes."

"That's oddly poetic for you," Ojiro chuckled.

"Hey, just because I'm a drill guy doesn't mean I have a jackhammer for a brain," Kaibara laid down on his back with his hands tucked his head, "Did you know I wanted to be a writer on the side when I became a hero?"

"Seriously?" Ojiro laid back as well, "How have I not heard about this?"

"Probably because I haven't done it in such a long time," Ojiro let out a small, but sad chuckle, "It's amazing how much this conflict has taken away. Growing up, my Dad wanted me to be a construction worker from an early age. He figured my quirk would help bring money in for our family. My Mom protested and vouched to send me to a hero school where I could get an advanced education. She said I would "hurt myself" if I worked in construction at an early age. In the end, my Mom won the argument, and I was predestined to make it into U.A. I don't think either of them ever considered that I wanted nothing to do with heroism or construction. I just wanted to write."

"You mean you didn't want to be a hero?" Ojiro sounded somewhat surprised.

"Not initially, no. But I quickly grew into it once I learned I could use my quirk as a pretty deadly weapon," Sen held up his arm and spun it with a smile, "And I _loved_ to fight. I took the test, got into class 1B, and…well, the rest is history I guess."

Ojiro grinned at his friend and looked back up at the sky.

"After the war is over, you should write me some poetry."

Kaibara laughed and let his arm down behind his head.

"Yeah, well," he closed his eyes and sighed heavily, "Let's win the war first."


End file.
